Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face(St. Therese of Lisieux)Patroness of the Oklahoma Province

Thérèse Martin was born in Alençon, France in 1873. When Thérèse was seven years old, her mother died, and her family moved to Lisieux. She entered the Carmelite monastery of Lisieux at the age of 15. She lived in greatest humility, evangelical simplicity and confidence in God. By her words and example she taught the novices these same virtues. Out of obedience to her superiors, who asked her to write down her memories of childhood, St. Thérèse produced what is today known as The Story of a Soul, one of the most popular spiritual autobiographies ever written. Discovering that her vocation was to be love in the heart of the Church, St. Thérèse offered her life for the salvation of souls and the spread of the Church. She died from tuberculosis on September 30, 1897. She was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II in October of 1998.<<Back to Our Saints || Next>>